


Becoming H.U.M.A.N

by PurePhoenix



Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Android, Death, F/M, Hydra, M/M, SHIELD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-07 00:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5436854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurePhoenix/pseuds/PurePhoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna Barnes was twelve when her brother was killed in action, leaving her officially an orphan. He was dumb for leaving her, but she knew he had to prove himself. She was fourteen when she was kidnapped from the orphanage and trained to become the next Captain America, except this time of HYDRA's side. She was  sixteen when she was killed in action and she was sixteen when she was brought back to life. </p><p>Living out her days working for an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D, Anna must avenge her brothers death, even if it means killing him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kitty (Ship.Will.Carry.On)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kitty+%28Ship.Will.Carry.On%29).



> This was inspired by my good friend Kitty. She's an amazing person and has always been super supportive of me and my work. I would also like to thank my brother (who ships Stucky) for being amazing and letting me read it to him.

To understand this story you first have to understand mine. My name is Anna Sarah Barnes, I was born on March 3rd, 1921 to a loving mother, father, and brother.

My mother was a sweet and gentle soul, I guess God needed someone like that back in heaven. I didn't mind that much, not because I was heartless or just a nieve youth, but because I trusted my father when he said she was needed.

My father was a fighter, and not one of those boxers or anything, but a real fighter. He fought for our country. He was strong, understanding and loving, even if he showed it through tough love. That's why God took him too, he needed strong and kind hearted people there too.

My brother, James, didn't see their deaths that way. He was always an angry kid so I never blamed him for blaming God and stop believing in him.

I always prayed, for the end of the war, the safety of innocent people, even not so innocent people, and for Steve. Steve was a skinny boy, the same age as James, they were best friends. Steve came to live with us after his mother died, I always thought of him as a brother.

He was always getting into battles over the injustice of the world. He wasn't full of anger, like James, he just wanted to stand up to bullies. When ever Steve got into a fight James saved him. He was amazing like that.

When James was drafted into the war I prayed for his safety. I wasn't scared for him, neither was Steve, we both had tremendous faith in God. James always rolled his eyes at comments like this and would make snarky come backs. Two days before he left he screamed at me for praying for his safety.

"God isn't real!" He cried out, anger in his voice that shook the floor boards.

"Yes he is!" I screamed back like I usually did.

Then James did somthing unexpected, tears started falling from his eyes, "Then where's Mother? Hm? When she got sick we prayed, I prayed and she still died!"

"He needed-"

"And Father, dying in that car accident. When he didn't come home like he was supposed to I prayed and prayed and prayed."

"It's not-"

"I always blamed myself, maybe I didn't pray right, or I isn't have enough faith. But the truth is, Anna, there is no God."

And just like that, our relationship shattered. My big brother was off to the war, angry at me for believing and I was angry at myself for not being able to comfort him. I prayed he would find help.

I guess that's why Steve left. See Steve was chosen to become a lab rat for Howard Stark. The Super Solider program, to make better fighters. Steve already had the spirt and grit of a solider, he just lacked the muscle. He was James angle sent from God.

When Steve left to go to the front lines, I was moved to an army base to live out my days till either one of two things happened. One) The war finished and Steve and Bucky returned home to me Two) They both died and I was sent to an orphanage. I prayed that it was the first choice.

When I got the news about James I cried. I hadn't cried since my father's death so the sensation felt foreign to me. I was angry at HYDRA, the people who basically killed him. It was rather depressing, and the only comfort I found was while I was praying.

His funeral was sad too, since there was no body, there wasn't anything to bury, no ashes to hold, no memorial. The closest thing I got was a plaque and medal in his honour.

Steve blamed himself for James's death. I felt bad for him so I prayed he would find comfort soon. And he did, in Peggy Carter.

Peggy Carter was so beautiful and an amazing person. Whenever she saw me she gave me candy and told me 'The war is no place for a child. But I guess a war makes children into adults faster then they should." I never really understood what that meant but it came from Peggy so it was bound to mean something meaningful.

Steve later died too. There wasn't a body either. No body, no proper funeral.

I was sent to an orphanage after that. It wasn't even a nice one, but I never complained out loud. I understood that a lot of families died or were split so the orphanages were always super full. I didn't mind that, just the rats and spiders.

I don't like bugs.

Peggy and Mr. Stark visited me a lot. After a month or two Mr. Stark stopped showing up with Peggy. I guess my twelve year old self reminded him too much of Steve and James.

Peggy still brought me little goodies, which I gave to the younger kids, and she told me stories about her job and I told her stories about my life at the orphanage.

A year after Steve's death, Peggy got a new job and moved, so it was just me. I never got adopted. Only a few young kids got chosen every three months.

During my second year I got a job selling newspapers, we called ourselves the Newsies. I thought James and Steve would be proud of me. Mother would overly worry and Father would laugh every time a made a bargain. I was the best.

Maybe that's why they chose me. The man who adopted me after my second year, when I was fourteen. He called me special, and I believed him.

I found a home in Russia. That's where I became a new person. After a month or two I realized I wasn't special, just my family like. James was alive. He was alive. But he was dead inside. With a metal arm and dead black eyes.

They saved him, but in all reality they killed him. I prayed for him. And I prayed for him. And prayed. And prayed. Then I realized. There was no God. Only the devil. And we were the same.


	2. Chapter One

When you wake up from a freezing chamber your body is stiff and you're surprising tired. You're hungry, but still full from your last meal. You're cold, but you find it comforting.

When they first freeze me I'm scared. My heart is pounding and my brain is raking up new scenarios that could happen. For example; they won't wake me up, my heart will stop and I'll die, or I'll be forever alone.

Dying would be better. Because I don't want to wake up one day and be alone. Even if the people who control me don't love me like you should love a sixteen year old girl.

When my chamber opened and I took my first real breath, I waited for hands to pull me out and hold me up, but they never came. I slowly opened my eyes, the room was dark and the only light was the moon illuminating into the window.

I moved my stiff body out of my chamber and fell on the cold cement floor of the warehouse. No one was there, I was alone.

I regained my strength a second later and got up, maybe this was a test. They've always loved testing me. I turned to face my chamber and saw that all the lights were off. Weird, the power must be out.

I shiver and look down, it's in that moment that I'm only in my training gear. A black work out tank top and running shorts, no wonder I was cold.

My carriers usually gave me something warm to put on, shoes to wear, just something to help me with the harsh Russian weather. If this was a drill, I better find some clothes soon before I freeze to death.

I run around the room, looking for something to cover me. Everything is dusty and rusting. I don't want to say I'm confused, but I'm confused. Either this is a very elaborate training exercise or my worst fear came true.

I'm alone.

I'm scared.

Help me.

I shake my head, stay focused, I tell myself and look around some more. After a minute or two I find a box full of clothes my size. Must have been for my next missions.

I grab a heavy sweater that says 'Stark Expo' across it and then a jacket that's black and makes the words from the sweater stand out more. Next I put some jeans on then black snow pants. Big white snow boots and then to top it all off, white mittens and a red cape with a hood.

I wonder what the Stark sweater was for. My next mission perhaps? I look around for my mission chip, wondering how old I am now. I may look sixteen but for I know, I could be two hundred.

After an hour of searching I find it. It's dusty and cracked in one part. I place it in my palm and close my eyes as my skin absorbs it. When my eyes reopen I'm no longer in the empty dark warehouse but in a well lite lecture room.

I'm at the very top looking down at all the empty chairs, there's a man facing the black board writing things down. "Sir." I say we I make my way down to the first row.

"Agent Barnes." He says, still not facing me.

"My next mission, sir?"

"Ah yes." He turns around, it's agent Kingsly. He's older then I remember. Instead of brown full hair he has grey thinning hair and a cane. The glasses are the same but his eyes show more hurt and pain. "Your mission involves your greatest enemy."

I nod, not sure who he was refereeing to. "Sir?"

"Intel says The Winter Soldier is going to kill the Stark Family."

"Howard and Maria Stark?"

"Yes."

I close my eyes. Howard Stark was a friend of mine. He made me, fixed me up. He found me dead and made me alive.

"How many days do I have?"

"Ten, there's money in a box, enough to get to America."

I nod, "What's the date?"

He opened his mouth but then everything started glitching and the video cut out and I was back in the warehouse.

I mean I never physically left the warehouse, but my mind made a simulation of me to live in with the data from the chip. Very confusing and hard to comprehend if your not Howard Stark.

I shake my head as I try to put all the pieces together, 1) Howard Stark, my savior basically, is in danger 2) The Winter Solider is after him 3) I don't know what the date is, but assuming it's the right year in supposed to wake up 4) I have ten days.

Ten days to leave Russia and fly to America. Ten days to save the Stark family. Ten days to avenge my brothers death.

___________________________  
The plane was cozy and was way better then the other planes I have ridden. For starters, it has a built in tv on the back of the seat so people could watch movies and listen to music.

It would have cost money if I didn't hack into the server and play the movies for free.

Everyone is super nice, especially coming from Russia. The lady who was in charge of selling tickets was super kind. I had asked her, "What's the date?"

She smiled looking at me and then my pass port, "October 7th." then went back to getting my ticket ready.

"The year?" I asked to clarify.

She looked up and blinked a few times, confused. She then laughed and smiled again, "2015."

I nod, silently thanking her.

"So what's in America?" she asked, not looking.

"I meeting an old friend." I say back. I'm assuming Howard Stark is still alive and well but very, very old. "So how about that Stark family, huh?" I chuckle, trying to make small talk and get Intel at the same time.

She finishes the ticket and hands it to me, "Tony Stark is definitely something."

I smile and take my passport. Who the hell is Tony? Howard's son? Why would they care more about him then Howard?

When I was seated on the plane, window seat, right side. Seated next to two kids, ten and seven, who just watched animated movies the whole time. I looked through the news, something to connect Tony Stark and the Winter Soldier.

All I found were interviews about something called The Avengers and fake captain Americas and iron men. Useless information.

So I slept, or shut down in my case. If you don't believe androids dream then you'd be half right. I don't make up new ideas with warps of my reality I replay memories.

The memory I usually play, the one that played now, is a happy memory. It starts with me, my six year old self, laying in the grass on a blanket. The wildflowers seem to make a wall around me, protecting my youth.

I watch my younger self play with ants while James comes over and he's laughing and smiling. "Keep this up and we're gonna have to change your name to Anta."

She, my younger self, laughs at this. He's only twelve but he was always a jokester. My father, James Barnes Sr. walks over, hand and hand with my mother, Annabel Barnes.

My happy little family. The memory continues with everyone having a great time. I usually focus on James during these things, reminding myself what I'm fighting for, but not this time. My eyes are glued on my mother.

Her perfect brown hair that curls just right and falls down to her shoulders lightly. It's like my hair before I was reborn, but better. Instead of blue eyes like the rest of us, she has these green eyes that remind me of spring. They're bright on the insides but then get darker towards the end. She's perfect.

The memory burns, like a photo, then I remember why I never focus on her.

The flames replace my perfect mother with her dying self.Seven year old me is holding her hand. Her brown hair gone and replaced with nothing but a hat to cover the reminder of her disease. 

Her eyes are still her eyes and her love is still as strong but I hate her. Not my younger self, but me. My sixteen year old self, my new self. I despise her and hate her for dying and making everyone leave.

She tells me she loves me for the last time before her heart stops and she dies. Younger me is yelling for someone to help, screaming and crying. My father and James run in along with a nurse and a doctor. I won't let go, younger me won't let go of the bed and James has to pry me off and pull me out.

She's dead. She's gone. I hate her.

___________________________

We land in America, New York, New York at they're 3 am, it feels like 11 am to me. But I never know what anything feels like. Especially since I'm a sleeper agent and an android. I wait for my bags and go through the whole process of checking me. Back in Russia they only needed to pat me down and not scan me. America must have trust issues.

It wasn't a problem, I just gave the man a doctors note saying that the radiation from scanning me would kill me and all he has to do is pat me down. That made him very happy. Pervert.

Once out of the airport I wonder if I should call a taxi or walk. The cold sharp air that makes my silver hair get in my face makes the decision for me. I use the built in phone and call an operator. She then gives me the number of a taxi service and I call, requesting a woman. I don't feel like fighting anyone tonight.

When she arrives she asks me where I was headed. I didn't know and it caught me off guard. "Stark?" She raises an eyebrow and then just nods. "Hop in." Once in and my seat belt on she starts driving, "Next stop, Stark enterprises."

___________________________

I didn't mean to fall asleep. It just happened. This memory was different. One I rarely had. It's the first time I woke up, but I feel weird. I'm guessing because it's my sixteen year old body still I have more control of the memory, or think I do.

I'm on a metal table. "Hello?" my voice is horse and foreign to me. My wrists and ankles are restrained and I start struggling, "Help me! Somebody! Anybody!" I'm freaking out and I'm surprised I haven't passed out yet.

A man runs over and places two arms on my shoulders. It's Howard Stark, but older. "Anna. Anna. It's okay."

I'm breathing hard, I haven't seen this man in-

I stop. I haven't seen him in years. Years. I'm four years older but I haven't seen him in over a decade.

"Are you okay?" he asks me. I can't seem to open my mouth, "Well your voice box seems to be working well enough for you to scream."

"Voice box?" I ask, worried.

He bites the bottom of his lip before continuing. "Joints seem to be in check. What about memory?"

"What's going on?" I finally ask. As I look around I realize I'm in his lab, his own personal lab. Not a hospital, or a tent, but a lab.

"Do you know who I am?"

Before I have a chance to open my mouth, a message appears next to him. And words start spurring out, "Stark, Howard Anthony Walter. Born August 15th, 1917. CEO of Stark Enterprises and founder of S.H.I.L.D. Married to Stark, Maria Collins Carbonell and father of Stark, Anthony Edward." I don't know how I know this information but I say it like its nothing.

"Good, everything seems to be in check."

I start breathing hard and my eyes start to tear up, "What's going on?" I cry.

He pauses and looks at me with this sad expression on his face. "You died."

Then I woke up. Something shook me awake. I grab the intruders wrist and put strength into the grip, "Ow!" the voice says. Feminine. That's when I remember I'm in the cab and she's the driver.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry." I let go.

She pulls her hand back and rubs it. "It's-it's okay." her voice is shaking and I can tell she's terrified, "We're-We're-We're-" I get the idea and nod.

"Here." I hand her more then enough and open the door, "I have trust issues. Thank you." The second I'm out she speeds off. Not because this is a bad part of town, she's just scared.

"You better be alive, Stark." I say as I enter the door. Nine days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to Kitty. Hope this present will suffice.


	3. Chapter Two

Eight days. I have eight days to save the Stark family. It would have been nine but no. I got arrested. I guess that's what 2015 is like, getting arrested for loitering. 

So now I'm in a holding cell and I've made my one and only phone call to the CEO of Stark Enterprises, Virginia Potts.

The conversation was weird and awkward since I needed to convince her to bail me out but I beat up some of her men.

"Stark enterprises human resources, this is Maria Hill, how may I help you?"

"Hello? Ms. Hill, this is-" I paused trying to remember some of the data I was able to download before I was taken down by security. "Luna Bell, I'm the new secretary of Justin Hammer, I was asked to reschedule an appointment with Ms. Potts, regarding Saturday lunch."

I can hear her breath, it's calm and focused. It feels trained and I bet it is. "One moment, Ms. Bell." I'm put on hold and this dumb elevator music comes on before she comes back, "I'm transferring you." 

"Thank you." Then it hangs up and starts calling a new person automatically. It takes only a few seconds for somebody to answer.

"Hel-" I start, to sound polite.

"Who is this?" the lady on the other end says, sounding aggressive and pissed.

"Like I told Ms. Hill, I'm Luna Be-"

"That's a lie and you know it. You're calling from a jail. We traced the number. Now who are you really?"

She was pissed and, to be honest, had every right to. I take in a deep breath and begin talking, "You got me, my name's not Luna Bell, I don't work for Hammer and I am calling from jail." I take another breath, "The truth is my mom sent me." Another lie wouldn't hurt, right? 

"Your mom?" She asked, not buying it.

"She's crazy, you know. Got this cancer thing going on in her brain. Told me to go to Stark Enterprises and find Virginia Potts, she can help."

"I can't."

"Like I said, crazy. But I humoured her anyways and came over at two am."

"You were the intruder." Virginia says in realization.

"Exactly, so now I'm up in holding with no way to place bail and my moms gonna get worried and threaten my neighbour to find out where I'm at." 

I knew I had her wrapped around my finger. "She's on these drugs, ya see. These pain killers to help with the pain, but I took them, see. She was taking them by the dozen. She's gonna go into withdrawal soon, if she hasn't already."

I can almost hear her debating whether or not to trust this kid who called you from jail and broke into your workplace the previous night. "I'll be over soon." She told me then hung up.

I smiled, mission accomplished.

___________________________

She picks me up with a guy who I beat up. He's tall and heavy and had a busted lip, broken nose, and black eye,  my doing.

He glares at me and makes little comments to Ms. Potts about "Can we trust her?" or "She's probably a mutant." Ms. Potts just rolls her eyes at him and then continues doing what she's doing.

They have a nice car, it's red and shiny. Once seated and the car starts Ms. Pots turns to me. "Okay tell me the truth."

The doors lock and I lock eyes with her, "I told you-"

"Bullshit." the driver says.

"Happy." she says turning towards him, then back to me, "You broke into the office and went to the computer but didn't download anything."

"Wrong." I say.

She blinks at me, shocked.

"I downloaded enough into my data drive to find the current address of the Stark Family and your name."

Happy goes to stop the car and I simply touch the radio and my code infects the car, making me in charge. 

"What the f-?"

"What did you just do?" Ms. Potts says reaching for something in her bag.

"I need to go to Starks current location, I need to save him."

She's barley paying attention, but that's fine, I just need the car. Not an audience.

Happy has a tazer now. "What do you plan to do with that?" I ask nonchalantly. He tried to fire it at me but I quickly dodge and crouch down on the floor. It takes a simple thought to open the ceiling and then kick the tazer out of his hands and out do the car.

He looks at me with wide eyes. Then he turns to Ms. Potts, who has her phone out. 

I could control the phone and delete what ever she was doing but I scared them both enough.

"We're going to Starks location-"

I stop and look up into the sky, a metal man of red and yellow is hovering over us. Iron Man.

"Heard you wanted a chat, so let's chat." He grabs me swiftly and throws me out of the car onto the street.  I quickly dodge a few cars and look back up at him, "You villains are just getting younger and younger."

I keep my mouth shut as he hovers over me. He lands in front of me and I can feel him raising an eyebrow through his helmet. "See this is the part where you either A) Yell at me for calling you a kid. B) Tell me your evil plan C) Fight me. I'm not complaining or anything, but a response of some kind would he much appreciated."

"I was sent by SHIELD," I say, putting my hands down to my sides, non-threateningly, "To protect The Stark Family."

"I don't need protection." he says, with a scoff.

I raise an eyebrow, "Howard?" I ask, shocked.

Howard doesn't respond. He just stares at me after a moment he says, "SHIELD didn't send you." the fires something from his palm at me. I jump and dodge.

"It's true! It's me! Anna Barnes!" I scream, I need to touch the suit to make it a fair fight.

"Like that means anything to me." Another fire, leading to another dodge. I see civilians stopping and filming the fight. I bite down and jump into the air, high, and grab onto his arm. 

He tries to fling me off but I have a strong grip. I download the schematics for the suit and apply them to myself before jumping off and then using my new powers to fly in the air.

"What did you-?"

"I did what you programmed me to, Howard." 

"I'm not Howard. He's dead." 

My face falls into sorrow. I'm too late. "What?" I ask out of shock as I descend slowly to the ground. "No I had eight days. Eight." The disbelief that fill my voice makes me seem weak.

"Explain." He says sternly.

I look at him with pure anger. The schematics I downloaded from his armour fully install into my mainframe. An arc reactor repulser seemed like the strongest of his weaponry so I decide to use it first.

I feel the power erupt through my chest and I watch as he goes flying, of guard.

Blinded by my anger I grab a car next to me and I slam it onto him. "He wasn't supposed to die!" I scream.

His armour is breaking and prices go flying with every hit I do with the car. I turn to the civilians. People are still filming it with what I found out to be phones. 

"Tell the winter soldier I will be waiting for his response." I glare. The newly installed rocket boots turn on and I start levitating, "Two days. Then I'm looking for him." Then I zoom off, tears starting to form.

\----------------------------------------------

I sat in a old run down hotel room. The tv was on and it was playing news coverage from the fight.

"A girl sixteen..."

"She just started fighting him...."

"....silver hair...."

"...she had his powers...."

They all sounded terrified. Oh God. I had let my emotions get the best of me. Why did androids feel? Why did Howard Stark do this to me?"

\----------------------------------------------

I dreamed of Tony.

Little baby Tony. He was only five when I first met him. Little rambunctious kid, and I was his baby sitter. Great.

"You can't be serious." I complained.

"I am, and you will." He said, fixing his tie.

"I'm an android working for S.H.I.E.L.D-"

"Not yet." he reminds me, "I still have to convince them."

I roll my eyes. "Don't." he laughs, "I do not need a teenage daughter."

I smirk and Tony runs at me and I pick I'm up and rest him on my hip. "Be good for Anna, Anthony." Howard says to his son, "Maria will be home in a few hours. If she's not back by eight just put him to bed."

"Sir, yes, sir." I do a mock salute and it was him, this time, who rolled his eyes.

After he left I smile at Tony, "This shouldn't be too hard."

Boy was I wrong.

By the time Maria Stark returned home, I had put out three fires, cleaned up seven spills, forced vegetables down a little kids throat, forced him into a bath, stopped him from bringing electronics into said bath, and then got him changed into these cute Captain America pyjamas.

He looked adorable in his little bed. Before I left I hear his little voice, "Anna?"

I turn, "Hm?"

"Can you get my bear? I left it on the couch."

I smile softly, "Of course."

I walk around the house, looking for the bear and gasp when I see it. It's a Bucky Bear. I cover my mouth and slowly sink into the couch. Same blue jacket he wore, the fur colour same as his hair. 

I didn't realize it but I started crying, full sobs. I must have been there for a half hour of just crying when Maria came in and hugged me. She treated me like I was her child and comforted me.

It was in that moment I realized. I have to avenge my brother. I had to kill HYDRA.

\----------------------------------------------

I woke up to somebody banging on my door. I grab the hotels old complementary robe and throw it over my tank top and short shorts. I open the door slightly to revel the manager.

"Yes?" I ask.

"You need to go." He has a thick Boston accent and his breath reeks of cigarettes and alcohol.

I make a face at the smell and cover my nose with my arm, "Why? I'm a paying costumer."

"We'll give you a refund."

I raise an eyebrow.

"The avengers want you, I sell drugs, you need to go."

I roll my eyes, "You sell drugs?"

"Yes, and I'm not gonna get caught because I'm housing some girl." 

I rub my eyes, "Kay." and close the door. I grab everything that was free from shampoo to mints. Then I use the phone installed in me.

"911 what's your emergency."

"Yeah I'm at the New Moon hotel, and the owner tried to sell me drugs."

"We'll send a police officer your way, what's your name?"

"Oh it's..." then I hung up. Like my name was gonna get them here faster.

I pick up my "refund", half of it's gone, but I shrug it off. When I'm a block away I see a cop car zoom over to the hotel, I laughed as I watched the owner be arrested and I laughed harder as I continued to walk.

New York is beautiful. I'm in time square and on some of the giant screens are my face. So I put my hoodie on and continue walking.

"Ma'am" I hear a think New Yorker accent. I ignore it and keep walking, "Ms. Farmer." the voice says. The name to my cover.

He's homeless, a beanie, over grown beard, ripped clothing, and a bad oder. He's holding a little blue book in his hand extended out towards me. 

"You dropped your passport." 

I raise my eyebrow and throw on a fake smile, "Thank you." 

I go to take it when he pulls it back and opens it, "I mean nice cover, Jodie Farmer, a really American name for a Russian spy."

He smirks and before I have turn to react there's a bag over my head, I'm about to retaliate when a shock goes through my body and I'm gone.

Not asleep.

No memories.

I'm fading.

\----------------------------------------------

I wake up, or reboot, in a lab. It's dirty but has some high priced technology.

"I heard you're looking for the winter solider." a German accent says from the shadows.

I try to move but my body is not responding to command.

"I'm sorry for the abrupt kidnapping. But we needed you."

"Could have just asked." I joke, still trying to break free.

"We didn't know how you would respond. My name is Red Skull."

My eyes go wide, "How...? You're dead."

"You don't believe in ghosts," he steps out, and it's him. It's the Red Skull, "Yet you're after one."

"You don't know my business." I snap back.

"Tell me, Anna, do you know who the winter soldier is?"

"I know he works for you. For HYDRA."

"So you have no clue who's under that mask."

I glare, what's he getting at?

He laughs to himself, "He's the one who murdered your brother, James Barnes."

"I knew that. You're to blame to. That's why Captain America beat you."

"On the contrary, he freed me." I raise an eyebrow, "The teserect saved me, made me what I am today."

"Crazy?"

"Powerful."

This time I'm the one to laugh. "You're idiotic."

He shakes his head, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

I stop, "What do you mean by that?"

"My enemy is the winter solider, you're enemy is the winger solider, we can help each other."

"Doesn't he work for you?" I question, not trusting him.

"He went rouge. He knows too much."

"So you what him dead and me to do the dirty work."

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Or I could keep him alive and get what I need to take him down."

"And miss the chance to avenge your dear brothers death?"

I stare at him intensely, deciding what I should do.

"When do we begin?"


	4. Chapter Three

Working for the red skull is...different than what I expected? I mean, I don't feel like I'm doing anything....wrong? Let me start over.

I'm training. Like legit training. In SHIELD, they went easy on me, I could tell. I could always tell. But here, it's like, it's like I'm fighting for something. I mean I always was, but here, there no side missions, no random tests, just this. Just the part where I avenge my brother.

I haven't actually watched the news and I missed my own deadline, so I have no idea if the winter soldier actually showed up. When I see him, I'm going to kill him. Not let him talk his way out of it. Just shoot him in the fucking skull.

It's a bit extreme, but he's not the one who died and was brought back to life as an android.

HYDRA is different then how I remember it, more clean. Maybe because of the red skull being here or maybe it has to do with a newer high anarchy.

"Barnes!" A commanding voice calls out as I'm finishing a trading exercise.

"Sir." I said with my teenage tone of voice of 'What do you want?'"

"Red Skull requests your presence."

I grab my water and towel, putting that behind my back and drink some. I nod and then he starts walking over to the red skulls official office. I look down at my feet at the guy I had just beat up and nudge him with my food. "Get up, twinkle toes. Practice again in ten"

As a begin to walk away a I hear him grown in a mix of pain, annoyance, and fear. I smirk as I walk the direction of the HYDRA agent Skull sent for me.

Once inside the room I see that Skull is not sitting at his desk but facing a window, back to me. "Close the door on your way out agent." The agent hesitates for a moment before leaving and indeed following orders and closing the door.

"So this isn't a booty call," I laugh awkwardly, trying to break the silence that's about to form, "You had me going a minute there, Skully."

"Sit down, Ms Barnes."

I look at the leather chair in front of his desk and shrug, it looked comfy enough, "Don't mind if I do." I say as I sit, placing my legs on his desk.

He turns slightly at the noise my feet make but then turns back. "You've been training hard."

"Yep." I say, what was he getting at.

"Hard enough to take down any of my men."

"That's the plan." I say a bit bored, "Now do I get to state the obvious? Are you secretly tanning? You look like a darker shade of red."

He turns, his face not amused, while I'm smirking my ass off. "A wise man once said," he started walking around the room, " 'What good fortune for those in power that men do not think.'"

He's behind me, on the other side of the room, at this moment. This time, my backs to him. "Adolf Hitler." I turn to face him, a stupid grin on my face, "Ya know, back in my day, he was the worst thing the world had to experience. I mean, 'Cept you of course." I shrug.

He's messing with an old Norse relic. "You know my men are afraid to give you their all." he says, completely ignoring what I had said.

"Or they just suck, come on Skully, just admit that your men suck."

This time he does smirk. "Oh young Anna, you're exactly like your brother. Quick to whit, but so blind."

I raise my eyebrow a glare a bit. How can he say he knows my brother, when it was his men that killed him.

"Right...." I say with a bit of bitterness, "Just get to your point and stop wasting my time."

He sets the relic back down and faces me, "It's the ultimate test."

I look at him with a face that says, 'What is?'

"There are two HYDRAS, one ruled by me, the correct one, and one rules by an amateur who doesn't see the big picture."

"And that picture wouldn't be world domination, would it?" I smile innocently.

He doesn't respond. "His name is Grant Ward, he was one of the HYDRA agents who infiltrated SHIELD. He got trust from the director, who at the time, was just a mere agent. He had something taken away from him and was blinded by revenge when he took the roll of HYDRA's new leader."

I listen, still trying to connect the dots, "So what do you want me to do?"

"Kill him."

"That's not we agreed-"

"It's the ultimate test. Once you kill Ward, we can get you set up for the mission to kill The Winter Soldier."

"And then after that? After I kill the winter soldier, what happens to me?"

He doesn't respond, but goes back to the position he was when I first walked in. "My men will escort your room to prepare, Ms. Barnes, you'll be leaving in an hour."

___________________________

I've been on the plane for over a hour and I was getting antsy. "Are we there yet?" I ask annoyed and for the millionth time.

One of the men across from me, faces me, "You're annoying, you know?"

I smirk, "Thanks, it's actually my real power. The robotic skills are a side thing." He rolls his eyes and I chuckle to myself.

"Ready for extraction." the pilot says a minute later.

"Finally." I say standing up, stretching a bit, "For a minute there, I thought we we're all gonna die on the plane of sheer boredom."

"Or annoyance." the guy mumbles under his breath.

"You know, you're gonna miss me, grumpy." I smirk as I put on my pack.

"I doubt it."

I wink to him as I go to the end of the jet, where the back is opening. Iron Mans suit plans are still installed so as soon as I jump out I can activate the rocket boots and fly the rest of the way to my destination. Less chance of getting spotted, according to Red Skull, at least. I still have trust issues.

The back fully opens and I turn to the men who were on the jet with me. "Well men, it's been an honour annoying your assess off like an average teenage girl." I fake salute them before falling backwards into the air below.

I must've fallen about twenty feet before I finally turn the boots on and fly to the building my flight plans tell me to go. Flying is one of the most beautiful things I have ever done.

Airs being pushed in your face and theirs no annoying gravity holding you down. After about five minutes I make it to the building. I go to the alarm system and have a fun time hacking myself in. This makes it easier for my next trick. 

I climb up the side of the building and end up on the room, where I use a laser installed in my finger to make an entry way in through the ceiling. I remove the chunk of cement I just carved out and jump in silently.

There are men everywhere, I'm on the catwalk, so I'm above them, but the slightest sound could set them off. I walk around, over forty men, in this room alone. Some have weapons, high manufactured guns or knives.

I comprehend a battle plan in my mind. If I'm quick enough I can take them all out in less then two minutes. I smirk as I jump down and land in front of them. "So what have you been trained to do when a sixteen year old girl breaks into you facility and she has weapons. Correction, she is a weapon?" I ask smirking like an idiot.

They all look at each other before looking at me. "Well don't all come charging at me at once." I say sarcastically.

It only takes them a minute to actually do that. I laugh, enjoying the fight, as I start my timer. I dodge bullets, get hit by a few, that ricochet off and end up hitting their own men. "Oops, sorry." "Did that hurt?" "Sorry, didn't mean to break your bone there" "You dead?" "Nah, you're breathing" all my little phrases seem to keep me on my feet.

After a minute and 43 seconds they're all down. "New record." I smirk to myself as I look around for Wards room. But luckily I don't have to look far, he's right in front of me.

"Great job." he congratulates me, "It'll be an honour to fight you in combat."

I smirk, "Correction, it'll be an honour for you to diet in combat."

He laughs, "Why don't we discuss this over wine? Like adults."

"I'm sixteen."

"But your mind is older, common, I got one that's as old as you." 

I shrug and follow him to a wince cellar that's under the building. It's clean and the light makes it easy to see. I use thermos scanners to scan the room to check if there are unwanted guests. None.

"Here we are." he hands me a wine glass and then shows me a bottle. "Saumur, a red wine from Valellina, dating back to 1942."

"Yeah I'm just a tad younger." I smiled

"Thought so." he begins to open the wine, and I raise my eyebrow.

"Do you think this will change the fact that I'm going to kill you?"

"Oh heavens no, no, no, no." he pours the wine into his glass then mine. I wait for him to drink some before I drink from my own, even though, poison doesn't affect me. "But the truth will."

I raise my eyebrow again, "The truth?"

"Yeah, the one Red Skull is refusing to tell you so you'll kill the wrong guy."

"You mean kill you?" I say, not believing what he was saying.

"I mean killing your brother, Anna." I choke on my wine.

"That's, uh," I say, trying to regain myself, "That's impossible, he's already dead."

"He's a soldier, the winter soldier."

I don't believe him, "Shut up."

"You know I'm right, Anna. Here," he hands me an iPad off the table to the side of him, "Check for yourself. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are both alive, and well."

I yank it away from him and scroll through the dozen or so articles of their well being. "It's-it's-"

"Impossible? Welcome to the modern age."

I look at him, what did he want. Guys like Ward, like Skull, like Stark, always wanted something in return for information. "What are you playing at, Ward?"

"You were ready to kill your brother because of the naive and lies you grew up with. SHIELD and Skull's HYDRA, they lie."

"And your's doesn't? I wasn't born yesterday, Ward."

"You're talented. I see that. And you're right, I'm not a saint. But neither is Nick Fury or Phil Coulson."

"What did they do to you?" I ask in disbelief, did he really think I was going to fall for his sob story?

"They killed the love of my life, right in front of me. I cradled her dying body as she bleed out. She was a SHIELD agent till one of their own, Barbra Morse, tortured her."

"Why would she-?"

"Morse didn't want to blow her cover."

"That's-that's"

"Unbelievable?"

"Sick."

He smiled, 'I'm glad we're on the same page, Ms. Barnes. As for your brother and friend. They're both long gone into the system." He was right, my brother was apart of an organization that had no accountability. My brother was just as bad as old SHIELD made him out to be.

"I think im going to be sick," I set my glass down and pace around the room. "So I've worked for Howard, then the Skull, now you?"

"I don't believe that there's any other choice at this point." I look at him and questions start to form.

"What can you offer me that the Skull can't?"

"Your brother, alive and well." I nod. Years of this clouded mind and vengeful spirit taht has blindedd me from the truth.

"And no harm to him?"

He thinks for a moment, "I think that's what 'alive and well' means." I glare and he smirks.

"No shit, Sherlock. But if you're gonna bring him in, you're going to have to fight him."

"Or, and hear me out, you could bring him in. He already knows you're alive. It's all over the news, you're a bigger hit then Zayn Leaving One Direction."

"Who leaving what?"

"After your time." I shrug, "So you'll go to the Avengers tower and give them the location of the Skull, or where he was. He's not dumb, he'd've guessed that you would talk to me."

"And then?"

"You leave that to the professionals."  
___________________________  
The tower is nothing like I would've expected a Stark to make. It has no style what so ever. It was tall and bulky.

Outside, getting out of a car, was Pepper Potts and Happy Houngan.

"Ah, shit," I mumbled before I caught up with them, "Ms. Potts, Mr. Houngan." I yell.

They turn and I see Happy get into a messed up fighting stance while Pepper takes out her phone, probably calling Tony Stark again. "Wait!" I say, putting my hands up, "I'm here for the reunion."

They're both ignoring me, great. "I'm Anna Barnes!" I declare. An arrow lands by my foot, it beeping and I jump, barley missing the explosion.

"See, told you she was young." I hear iron man say.

"You're right, Stark, too young for my taste." Another male voice says

"Will you boys be quite." a female voice this time.

I stand up and see two females and four males, I'm costumes standing in front of me.

I look around, from news reports I can piece together who is who. I cough, getting the ashes and smoke out of my throat. "Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, Mockingbird, Barbra Morse, Hawkeye, Clinton Barton, Iron Man, Anthony Stark....." I stop, staring at the last two. "Steve Rogers and James Barnes." I choke out, between a sob.

They look at each other, "Ma'am?" Steve asks, "You attacked Stark personnel and now you've come to the Avengers tower to archive what?"

I stare blankly at him, he didn't recognize me? Was it the hair? My body? "I? I?"

"She doesn't know what she's doing, Cap, she's working for HYDRA." Hawkeye says.

"I'm not! I mean I was, but for only a day, to catch my brothers murderer!"

"And did you?" Hawkeye asks.

"No..." I state sadly, "But I did go after Grant Ward."

"Who?" Stark and Hawkeye ask together.

"Former member of SHIELD, worked under Coulson." Mocking bird states.

I nod, then turn to my brother, "You've been quite."

"What's your name?" he says, same voice, but tougher.

"Anna Barnes, daughter of James Barnes Sr and Annabella Barnes."

"You can't be." he growled, stepping at me, I can now see his metal arm. I feel sorry for him.

"Well I am." I say with confidence, "And you're my brother."

I see a few avengers look at each other then him, shocked. Steve is just staring at the back of his head.

"Prove it." he growled again but he wasn't angry. It's like he wanted this to be true, so that he could have his sister back and be happy.

"Anta." I breath out and stare at him.

It falls into a frown, and I raise an eyebrow, why didn't he believe me.

"James...please." it felt like a plea for help and tears start falling, something that hasn't happened to me in a while. "Howard and Peggy said you died. Hell, even Steve said that. But yet, here you are, why are you so surprised that I am?"

"Because HYDRA's the reason I'm alive."

"I'm not HYDRA." I said, but then I realized it was a lie. He would be so disappointed when I betrayed him. "I was created by Howard Stark. Made from alien technology left behind by gods. I was raised from the dead as a SHIELD agent to protect the ones I grew close to."

"Wait," Iron Man breaks through, "You were my babysitter." James raises an eyebrow at this.

"Yeah, uh, Howard didn't want to put me on any dangerous missions till I was trained properly."

"You have to be trained to watch a Stark." Hawkeye laughed.

James looked pissed, "Fucking Howard." he grumbles.

"I wanted to be a SHIELD agent, I needed to avenger your death."

"Bullshit." he spat, making me shrink, he was different.

"I swear, James. Please." I pleaded. My eyes met with his and I could see the hatred and horror mixed in his old tired irises.

He turned and started walking away, "Stark, send her to SHIELD, have them get the truth."

"This is the truth, James." I cried running after him. I grabbed his arm and pulled him slightly. His movement was swift and unexpected as he pushed me to the ground.

"Get it in SHIELD custody." he spat before he left.

My whole world shattered around me. This was my brother, the man I was trying to avenge. My eyes watered and I started silently crying. 

"Hey, kiddo, let's head to SHIELD, okay?" Hawkeye said getting down to my level. I stared at him, eyes still spilling out tears. "I'm Clint, Barnes is just grumpy, he didn't get his morning coffee."

Sobs stayed trapped in my throat, I felt so weak. "He hates me." I whispered. By now the others had left. Steve had followed James and Black widow left with the others. The only ones left were Hawkeye and Mocking Bird.

"No he doesn't." She said, joining Clint by my side, "He's just cold."

"Barnes doesn't know how to open up anymore. It took forever just to befriend him." He smiled.

I didn't know what to do so I just fell into his chest and cried. I cried. And cried. And cried. I felt so lost, my life meant nothing. Clint Barton wrapped his arms around me and we just sat there in the street.

Then there were stars. Billions and billions of stars.

Sent from my iPod


	5. Chapter Four

I wake up screaming, metal tubes coming out of my skin, holding me up in the air. I'm getting tangled in them as I move around, breathing hard. I'm confused, scared.

I hear a slow, loud, clap from behind me. I turn to face the noise, it's Ward. 

"Very good, Anna." he says, walking closer.

"What the hell was that?" I demand, still trying to control my breathing. 

He chuckles under his breath, "A test."

"What kind of test?" 

"The kind to prove your loyalty. He hated you. Didn't you see that, Anna? Didn't you feel the pain that pierced your heart."

I look at him shocked, "You were testing to see if I'd betray HYDRA." I say in realization.

"Of course I was. You don't think I'd send a sixteen year old android girl who used to work for SHIELD, but then left when she found someone who could get her closer to her goal, and then left him to work for me."

I nod, still tangled in the poles, "Can you let me go now?"

He pretends to think for a moment, "No? Look, Annie, can I call you, Annie?" 

"No." I glare.

"Hm, too bad, I really liked that nickname. Anyway, I have a few more tests set up for you, this time at least pretend to try to prove yourself." He spun his figure around, "Start it up boys."

I heard the hum of the machine before it started shocking me, I was screaming again, as I shut down the stars started again. And I couldn't help but smile.

"I think she's coming through." A man's voice said.

"Tony's going to have a field day when he finds out." Another male voice says.

"Anna?" The first voice says, lifting up my eyelid and shinning a flash light in. I blink a few times as his information fills my system. "Dr. Banner?" I ask tiredly.

"See, isn't that the coolest shit you've ever seen?" The second voice laughs, I look over, squinting, still adjusting to the light. 

"Agent Barton?"

"I always wanted a robot but Tony was like 'no it's too dangerous' yet here she is." he laughed, "Created by his own father."

"Where am I?"

"SHIELD med lab." Dr. Banner answers.

"Why? I thought you didn't trust me?"

"You're a person, you deserve medical attention."

"I was a person," I remind, trying to get up, seeing my hands are handcuffed to the bed. 

"Yeah, you're also a robot." Barton laughs.

"Android." I correct as I try pulling my arm again, breaking the chain of the handcuff.

"Fascinating, you have a greater strength then Hulk, and the schematics of Iron Man."

"The ultimate avenger." Barton chuckles, I glare at him. 

This was just a test. Testing my patience. My loyalty. Something I haven't had to in years.

Dr.Banner grabs a little Dixie cup and hands it to me, inside is two pills. "What's this?" I raise an eyebrow, examining the little orange pills.

"Just Advil, you can wash them down with water-"

Before he could finish I put them in my mouth and started chewing them, "Ew!" I started spitting, Barton was laughing and Dr. Banner was handing me water, which I drank graciously.

"Want to try again?" I shake my head no. "Can I just leave?"

Barton's shit eating grin turned into a slight frown, and Dr. Banner ignored me. "What?" I demanded.

"Look kid," Barton started, "The tension has been high since you showed up. Fury, the director of shield, found secret files that talk about you, or your programming. You're not human." 

"No shit, Sherlock." I glare, "I died, came back, joined shield."

He looked at me sympathetically.

"What?" My glare deepens, "I don't need your pity, Barton."

"You're made of an alien technology. You were dead for a week. You went to-"

"If you say heaven, I'll punch you." 

He shut his mouth tight.

I cast my eyes sadly on the ground, before I hear a noise and look up, James is standing there. My throat becomes dry and starts closing up. He's not the James I saw earlier, his eyes are his same eyes but they're worn out, his arm is missing, and blood is dripping down the empty socket. "James?" I choke out.

In the corner of my eye, I see Dr.Banner look up. 

I can't take my eyes off him, "Annabella." he starts, his voice is dead and cracking. "You didn't even look for me?"

"I-" I sob out.

"I was alive! Why did you let me go?"

He holds out his arm, he's clutching my wooden cross, the one my dying mother gave me. "You let her go. You're the reason she's dead!" 

"Stop!" I scream, I can feel Barton grab me. I'm breathing hard and I look down at the ground. There's a shield agent, my hands are on his face, my nails digging into his face. Blood. So much blood.

"Oh my..."

Bartons pulling me up, I don't even remember attacking him. Dr.Banner rushes to the agents side. I start sobbing, "It was him!" I sobbed, "He-he-"

He's pulling me out of the room. "I didn't mean to-" I cried out. Something pinched my neck and a fell into a deep slumber.

Oh how the stars cradled me.

I woke up back at Hydra, Ward was gone and in his place was a man with short stubble black hair and his eyes gray, he was blind. "Welcome back Agent Barnes." 

I look at him with disgust, "I'm not your agent." I spit, he simply shakes his head. "What happened?"

"We created an image in your brain to test you..."

"I could have killed him!" 

"He wasn't real." He says unamused.

"James or that agent?" I demand.

"Both."

I untangle myself from the pipes and jump down, staring at him, "Who are you? Where's Ward?"

"He had business to attend to." I raise my eyebrow, "My name is Jasper."

"Jesper?" I tilt my head like a little kid, "How old are you?"

"Thirty four."

I bite my bottom lip and start balancing on my heels. "So now what?" I say crossing my arms.

"We dine." 

"Food?"

"Hope you like American." He says walking away.  
-  
\--  
-  
After we both consume an unhealthy amount of burgers, fries, and milkshakes, we both just sit there, staring at each other. "So...?" I break the silence, playing with my straw in the empty glass.

"How are you, Anna?"

I'm a bit taken aback by the question, and how nonchalantly he said it, "Uh, fine I guess." He nods, his blind eyes staring though my soul. "So this 'test'?" He leans in, as if to listen better, "What did today prove? That I'm still panicky about James?"

He shakes his head no, "No, no, today's test was to prove that you could control your anger."

"So I failed?" I asked sadly, I wanted to go back, even if it was fake.

"Not necisarly, see, when that agent became your brother, blaming you, it showed up who you really were."

"And who's that?" I ask staring into his eyes.

"Strong." He whispers, like the word was taboo. "Luckily Ward didn't see."

"And if he did?" My voice dropping down to his level. 

"I don't believe he would have let you go back."

I nod, "So what do I do?"

"Believe nothing."

"Nothing. Understood, sir."

Another agent comes over to us, "Agent 14," she starts, "Agent Barnes needs to head back now."

He nods and stands up, putting a hand out for me to take, "Shall we?"

I don't know what made me do this, but I trusted him, and I took his hand and we walked back to the room. He and Ward, who appeared out of nowhere, put me back in the machine.

Stars free me from the pain.

I wake up in a cell, restrained to a bed. "Dammit." I curse. I stare at the door for a minute or two before it opens, a woman with short black hair walks through, followed by an African American man with an eyepatch.

"Agent Maria Hill, Director Nicolas Fury." I say, the words spilling out.

They both keep a straight face as the door slams behind them, "How's the other agent?" I ask worried.

"The one you attacked?" Hill asks aggressively.

Fury puts a hand up, to silence her, "He's fine. A few cuts and buises, he's had worse."

"I didn't mean to, honest, I thought he was..."

"Your brother? Blaming you for not looking for him? Rogers had the same hallucinations after we found out the truth. No one blames you." Fury says then turns to Hill, who's glaring at me, "Hill, unrestraint her."

She nods and comes over to me and takes off my restraints, "Thank you." I tell her, she says nothing back.

"Dinner is ready, if you care to join us." Fury says.

"Us?" I said, standing up.

"Banner, Barton, Romanoff, Morse, Hill, and I."

I nod, "Right." Even though I had already ate, I was already hungry.

"You do eat, right?" Fury asks.

I nod, "I'm as human as you."

"Except you're not." Hill growls leaving.

I nod again, "She hates me, doesn't she."

He just smirked and followed her.  
-  
\--  
-  
I follow them into an elevator, Hill pulls out a card and slide it into a card key slot then hits the number 42.

"What floor were we on?" I ask, the walls are made of glass but it's dark everywhere.

"B33." I stare at him astonished.

"Out of?"

"thirty five floors down, fourth two up. All together it's..."

"seventy seven." I whisper. He nods. "That's-" I pause before recollecting myself, "Impressive." I state.

He laughs lightly and Hill rolls her eyes, "It is. The tallest building you've ever been in?" He asks me.

"The Empire State Building, I passed it, it looks better." He nods.

"Brace yourself." He tells me.

I raise an eyebrow, but it becomes clear what he means when we reach street level. The sun peers through the glass and I can't help but gawk at the world bestowed in front of me.

"Nice, isn't it?" He asks me.

I stay silent, trying to soak in as much beauty as I can.  
-  
\--  
-  
When we finally reach the top, my legs feel like jelly. I had only flown for a few days, so this sensation was weird. Hill leads Fury and me down the hall, turing at different corners, until we reach a door. "Everything's already set, sir. They should be in there already."

"Thank you, Hill." She nods and leaves. Fury and I stand there staring at the door, "After you, Anna."

I nod, a sensation falls over my whole body. Nervousness. Why? I bite my bottom lip as I reach my hand out to the handle, it's shaking. I slam my eyes shut, "believe nothing." I whisper silently to myself. I reopen my eyes, a newfound confidence fills my body as I open the door and step in.

I first see Banner, he's changed, he's wearing a purple polo and baige kakis pangs. He sends a smile at me, next to him is Barton in a cartoon shirt and board shorts. He's next to Morse who's in a light blue shirt and a jean jacket. And next to her is Romanoff in a red shirt and a leather jacket. I smile awkwardly at them, as I turn to the mysterious fifth person.

It was-it couldn't be-they said he had died. Howard? No, Ann, pay attention, he looks nothing like Howard. But at the same time he does, the same hair and face structure, but his eyes were different. Anthony.

And just before my eyes, he changed. He was himself, the last time I saw him, eight years old, already so smart. Little Anthony smiled a toothy grin, minus his two front teeth. Believe nothing. Behind him were Howard and Maria, smiling. Believe nothing. Then blood started dripping from their for head, a bullet wound.

Believe nothing.  
Believe nothing.  
Believe. 

One tear rolled down my face before I felt myself fall to my knees, stay awake. 

Blackness filled my mind and I stood looking over a young Anthony who sat on my knee, I start to panic before I realize I'm in a memory. I look back down at him, "Read it again, Nanny Annie." 

I chuckle, "Okay." I say, forced. "Once upon there was a little man, like you Anthony," He frowns at the name, annoyed.

"It's Tony." He reminds me for the hundredth time. 

"And it's Anna." I laugh before continuing, "Now this little man was named Steven Rogers." I show him the book.

"I like his hair."

"I do too." I smile, "He wanted to help the world during the war, but he was too small, so while all his friends left, he stayed behind."

I continue telling the story till I get to James death, "You skipped a page, Anna." Tony says.

"I know I did."

"You always do, why is Steve so sad in the next pages? Where's Bucky?" 

"He's fine." I choke out.

Tony shakes his head, "I read the book when you left." I stare at him, "And I asked my dad. He said Bucky died saving the people he cared about." 

"That was James, a great guy." I force a smile. 

"But now they're both in heaven together, watching over us, right?" 

I smile, "Of course." I gently touch my cross neckless.

"Anna?" I turn and see Howard and another SHIELD administrator.

I turn back to Tony, "Be right back." and kiss his temple before setting him in the couch.

I walk over to the two men, "Yes?"

"It's time, Agent Barnes." the administrator says. I look back at Tony, he's rereading the captain America book again, I smile sadly. 

"May I-" I ask Howard, not being able to finish.

He nods and I walk back to Tony, something twists in my stomach as I kneel next to him, "I'll see you later, lil buddy." I tell him.

"Where are you going?" He asks, confused.

How do you explain that you're becoming a sleeping agent for shield and will never be able to see him again, "I'm leaving New York." I tell him slowly.

"Why?" He asks angered, annoyed, and sadly.

"It's time for some new scenery." I reach for my cross, before looking at him and taking it off. "Here." I hand it to him and kiss his head, "Keep it, God will protect you when I can't."

He took it and then hugged me, crying.

I still remember the sobs. The hurt. The pain.

Believe nothing.

I shoot back up and look around, I'm sitting upright in the dining room, Banner has a hand behind my back, steading me.

"Ms. Barnes? Can you hear me?" He asks. I'm breathing hard, trying to catch my breath.

"What happened?" 

"You passed out," Barton said, "You okay?"

I nod, "Yeah, I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting on seeing..." I trail off.

"It's okay," a woman with blonde hair, Bobbie Morse, says, "Just as long as you're okay."

"I am." I nod, "Honest." I stand up.

"You sure?" Banner asks again.

"I'm sure." I smile and look around the room again, "Where's Stark and Romanoff?" 

"Nat and Tony?" Barton asks, I nod slightly, "T-man had a mini panic attack and Nat went to calm him." I bite my bottom lip while Morse sent a glare his way. "What?" he asks innocently.

I sat their quietly, that didn't sound like him at all. Tony wasn't one for panic attacks, damn, how damaged did I leave him? 

A reassuring hand his placed on my shoulder, I look over to see Banner, "it's not your fault."

I look away and sigh, "Right." I lie.

"I mean it, none of this is your fault. It's SHIELDS." 

I look at him again, it was the first real thing I've heard since I awoke from my chamber. My first truth.

"Thank you, Bru-." I stop myself, believe nothing, don't make friends. Don't get attached. This isn't real. Yet it felt so good. It felt like I had a real-. No. I'm an android who's being tested by my bosses, none of this is real, "Dr. Banner."

He frowns slightly, before sighing, "Shall we eat now?" I nod.  
-  
\--  
-  
At the end of the day I'm exhausted. They've accepted me, and this fake reality, real or not real, is my test. I need to gain their trust, which I guess I already did. 

Banner was fascinated by my structural build, Barton was astonished by my black hole of a stomach, and Morse was amazed by my appearance, "You could be a model if you wanted to." she told me. I smiled at that.

Tony and Romanoff never came back. I guess that's fine. Maybe not. I really wanted to see James. 

I fell on my bed, letting it absorb my body, I haven't had my own room since I lived at the Stark house. It was hotel to motel, never my own home. 

As I shut my eyes, I prayed, something I haven't done in decades.

And how the stars watched over me.

I turn my head and look at Jasper, he's smiling up at me, in a creepy blind person way, "Do I ever get to sleep?"

He chuckled, "I'll show you to your room." I untangle myself and hop down next to him and follow him through the building. It's cold, nothing like SHIELD, a shiver runs down my spine, the fake world vs the real world.

"So how did I do today?"

He doesn't look back at me but speaks never the less, "Good, we lost you a few minutes there, when you saw Anthony Stark."

I raise my eyebrow, "I passed out." I confess. 

He nods, "So we assumed. Since we can only hear what you hear and see what you see, we lost you." 

I was confused, if this was all fake, why couldn't they control my mind. I don't say anything the rest of the trip until we make our way to a cell. 

"Your room." Jasper tells me. 

Looks more like a prison.

After I walk in, he closes and locks the door behind me. I sigh and go over to the mattress on the floor, it's dark, I'm alone, I'm afraid. Hydra is my only home.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment or a like, next chapter will be posted sometime next week. I may update weekly, we'll see. You can also find this story on Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/194017519-becoming-h-u-m-a-n-prolouge


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